Missing Heart
by Vicarious Lurker
Summary: When Tifa went missing, Cloud doesn't know where to look or rather, have forgotten where to look. [Set post Advent Children, spoilers]


**Missing Heart **

_I'm going somewhere for a few days. Please watch over the kids while I'm gone. I've prepared enough food for several days in the fridge, reheat them carefully. _

_PS: Don't let them have snacks before dinner. _

_-Tifa _

...was written on the note Cloud Strife found sticking on top of the Seventh Heaven's all purpose fridge, in his childhood's friend handwriting.

He reached out the note with a gloved hand, and decided to throw it into the dustbin, but then he felt two pairs of curious eyes piercing into the back of his head. Stuffing the note hastily into one pocket, he turned to his charges.

"Is Tifa coming back?" asked Denzel, who seemed as baffled as him.

_You don't lie to children, Cloud,_ Tifa had often said. _Give them an empty promise and they'll remember it for the rest of their life. Remember how your mother promised you that Harvest Festival in _ _Kalm__Town__ and how miserable you felt after she backed out in her promise? _

"I don't really know." He crouched down and placed an assuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "But I'll make sure she does, okay?"

"Did you make Tifa angry, Cloud?"

"No, Marlene, I did not—" _or did I? _"I surely hope not."

"Is Tifa going to pick us up soon?"

Cloud raised a curious eyebrow. "To go where?"

Marlene tilted her face downward, and widened her eyes. "Johnny from the end of the road said—that when a couple split up, woman's usually the one who gets the kids."

It took a moment for Cloud to let the line sink in, and when he tried to mumble out an explanation, the children were totally fixated on him. "I mean, uh, Tifa and I aren't a—what else did Johnny tell you?"

"Does this mean you're not getting a divorce?" asked Denzel.

"No, because in order to divorce you need to get married first, which in our case, there has never been a marriage in the first place." Cloud rubbed his suddenly throbbing temples. "What makes you think like that?"

The children looked at each other and stared back at him. "Does this mean you're going to bring her back home?"

"Of course."

-

He almost slipped when he stepped in to the house, and noticed the sole of his shoes were covered in grimy substance—namely fuel.

"Come on in and make yourself comfortable," Cid said, proceeding to the kitchen.

It was easier said than done two years ago, when Cid's living room weren't cluttered with airship parts. Cloud had seen the edge of the TV jutting through the chunks of old metal scraps. Yet despite the whole mess that seemed to have consumed the furniture whole, there seemed to be a noticeable gap that he couldn't place. "Did you receive my message, Cid?"

"Hell, it was the first time I received a call from you, ever. Thought it was one of 'em mako eyes again, and almost jumped out of my workshop with my spear and all, ready to rescue Tifa." Cid paused to search around his dusty cupboard, grabbing for two dirty, cracked cups. "But then you said she left a message."

"I thought she just wanted to take some time off from the bar, to visit some friends..." he took another look outside the grimy window, where the rest of Rocket Town occupants just started their day. "I guess she didn't come here—when's the last time you clean this place up?"

The pilot slammed down two cups of steaming hot drink in front of him. "Shut up and drink your xxxxing tea."

He reached over it obediently, realizing he hadn't had anything for breakfast, and gulped it constantly. In unison, Cloud and Cid instantly spat out their drink.

"What the hell?! Cid, this thing smells like gasoline!"

"Not my fault, xxxxer! I've never made any tea before!"

At that moment, it occurred to Cloud about the missing part in Cid's house. "...Where's Shera?"

By the time Cid gathered enough will to answer Cloud's question, the pilot was already avoiding his eyes, fixing his stare on his own front door, taking out the lighter and a pack of his favorite cig. "What, took you that long to figure it out?"

"Did she...?"

"Yep," Cid took a long swig from his cigarette, puffing out a long chain of smoke, no taking his eyes from the front door. "Packed her bags and left."

"..."

"Pro'ly thought that I couldn't live without her. Hah! Guess what, I'm still alive and kicking!"

_And unhappy_. "You sure are," answered Cloud, after taking a quick glance at the dirty dishes in the sink and ignoring the reeking stench of the workshop. And back to Cid, who was sporting the messiest look he's ever seen. Unshaven and scruffy, the usual look he's often wore whenever he's obsessed with a project. Cloud tried to find that accomplished look that usually accompanied it, but found none. There's only disappointment and silent anger that seemed to be on the verge of blowing up.

"Went and graced the airship with her name, too. But hell, she didn't give a xxxxing tiny rat's ass."

Cloud predicted this was somewhere before the last advent, which had prompted Cid to name his newest airship 'Shera'. He had thought of Shera as the most patient woman in the planet, but apparently, even her patience was limited. And even more, he couldn't dismiss the look in Cid's face. The look that said--

"...I miss her."

Cid's voice was throaty and dry, sounded almost pathetic amidst uncountable things he had dedicated his life to, and Cloud finally realized they were all there to fill the gap that was Shera.

And as he sat there on Cid's workshop, holding the mug that smelled like gasoline, Cloud couldn't help but feel that Cid has voiced out of the only thing he's been trying to say aloud for the whole afternoon.

-

"You look like a mess."

"I'm always a mess," Vincent answered, taking a good look at his comrade. "Just like you are now."

Cloud scratched his head grudgingly, and tried to dust off the stain of oil on his sleeve. "Why don't you try to live somewhere with a hint of civilization, Vincent? It will be much easier for us to reach you."

The vampire whipped off his red cape, showing his hidden and brand new cell phone latched to his belt. "You know where to reach me."

"Let me take a look at that."

Vincent handed Cloud his cellphone, who flipped it open and carefully inspected it. "Vince."

"Yes?"

"Did you ever switch this on?"

Silence for a while, as the two men stared at each other. Finally, Vincent looked down and pointed the phone, grumbling something about cutting-edge technologies. "…I can't find the power button."

They spent the next half an hour having basic cell phone tutorial. By the time Cloud looked out of the cave, the sun was piercing through the cave's entrance. "What time is it already?"

" Noon, I think."

"I better get going soon, Barret's probably waiting." Cloud leapt up to his feet and got himself ready to leave. "As soon as you hear something about Tifa, please _call_ me."

"No worries."

As he walked out of the cave, glancing at Lucrecia's encased body on the back of the cave, her beauty undeterred over the years, and Vincent watching over the place-Cloud felt a pang of dread—it was as if he was looking at his own future.

-

"Whaddya mean, she LEFT?"

Cloud backed away civilly and rubbed his ear, Barret's shrillness still ringing. "Just like you heard and I'm not repeating it for the twentieth time."

"This—this was why she couldn't stand you, you with your ridiculous chocobo hair, stupid bike, potty mouth--"

"Yet I couldn't possibly top you and Cid," Cloud replied dryly.

"Like hell yeah! Who do you think you are, mister "Oh-l-look-so-good-in-black-leather-and-CK-shades?!"

"We're getting off track here, Barret, Tifa's definitely not here, so I'm leaving to--"

"Oy."

"What?"

"If you're here and Tifa's missing, who's taking care of the kids?"

It took Cloud less than five seconds to jump on top of his bike, drove off and evaded one of Barret's giant wrenches.

---

"Marlene, Denzel, Dad's coming!"

He had tried so hard not to knock down the front door of 7th heaven, yet it squeaked in protest as he nearly did, and there they were, the children who had casually wandered on and off his mind, eating sandwiches on the dining table, Denzel's mouth smearing with jam, and Marlene adding another layer of butter to her bread.

A chunk of chewed bread nearly dropped from Marlene's mouth. "Papa's coming?!"

"No, I mean I, Barre—um, I mean, I just met your dad. You guys seem all right."

"We're just having lunch." Denzel said through a mouthful of peanut butter and jelly. "You want some?"

"Sure...but I didn't know you guys can cook."

Marlene handed him a napkin. "Cloud, we may be children. But there will be a time when we grow up and not depend on you anymore. And it's not cooking, we're just making sandwiches."

_Kids_, Cloud thought. _You left them unattended for a few hours and they start talking like they're going to put you into a home before you're fifty_. He let himself smile for the first time of the day. "I guess. But I'll still miss times like this."

"Relax, you're barely here. We won't miss you as much."

-

_to be continued _


End file.
